Weeknight Chicken Soup

by The Fresh 20 on November 16, 2018

Best Weeknight Chicken Soup

Name: Weeknight Chicken Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon olive oil; ½ medium yellow onion, cut into small dice; 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch coins; 2 celery stalks, cut into ¼ inch slices; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 1 cup warm water; 1 14.5 oz. can, cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 2 shredded poached chicken breast; 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt; Pinch of black pepper

This weeknight chicken soup is a staple in my kitchen. We all have that one recipe we know like the back of our hand, because it’s so easy (and so good) that preparing it’s like being on autopilot. This is mine: a go-to for those days when my mind needs the comfort of routine, and my body needs a healthy, nourishing meal.

Le Creuset pot of simple hearty weeknight chicken soup with carrots and kale on the stove with a ladle from above

There’s something you should know about me. Meal planning and meal prep are always top of my mind. With two growing teens, my kitchen can go from stocked to bare in 24 hours. It can put a lot of pressure on whomever is doing the cooking to keep hearty dinners on the table night after night. So if I’m roasting chicken, I’m roasting 2 — one for tonight and one for this soup on Wednesday. If I’m chopping carrots to roast with that chicken, I’m chopping an extra few cups for the soup. So when hump-day rolls around, dinner comes together in 15 minutes and I can get the R&R I need to power through to Friday!

I also keep this one in my ‘Thanksgiving Recipes’ file because it’s the perfect way to make use of leftover turkey.

Simple Soups For Dinner

I love soups because they’re a one-pot meal (easiest clean-up ever), and they come together very quickly while also developing lots of great flavors. Broth-based soups are typically low in fat, and are most often dairy free.

Sometimes I get fancy and add a hodgepodge of whatever vegetables I have on hand. You can use any veg you have in the fridge, from greens to broccoli, to fresh corn.

Woman cutting vegetables on a wood cutting board with ingredients to make chicken soup on a white marble countertop

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Weeknight Chicken Soup Recipe

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Weeknight Chicken Soup

Author: The Fresh 20
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 30 minutes

Print Recipe

Description

Easy, hearty weeknight chicken soup packed with protein and veggies.

Scale

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, cut into small dice
3 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch coins
2 celery stalks, cut into ¼ inch slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup warm water
1 14.5 oz. can, cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 shredded poached chicken breast
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Heat a soup pot over medium heat.
Once hot, add in oil, onion, carrots and celery.
Sprinkle with kosher salt and sweat the vegetables until the onions become soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in broth and water, add in chicken and beans, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir to combine and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.